Fluorescent lighting fixture



Nav. 25, 1947. c. E. BARKER 2,43Efi56 FLUORESCENT LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Oct. 13, 1944 INVENTOR. CHARLES E BARKER QIIQRN EY Patented Nov. 25, 1947 FLUORESCENT LIGHTING FIXTURE Charles Edward Barker, Essex, Mass, assignor to Sylvania Electric Products 1110., Salem, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 13, 1944, Serial No. 558,537

This invention relates to electric lighting fixtures and particularly to manipulating means applied to the light controlling elements of the fixture.

An object of the invention is to provide afixture having a highly efficient and durable means for gaining access to the inner elements of the fixture. l,

A further object of the invention is to provide means for pivotally and detachably supporting a light controlling element upon the fixture.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for removably supporting a unitary light controlling element which covers substantially all of the area from which useful light is emitted and which will permit the element to swing into a position to gain free access to all internal elements of the fixture.

Other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description in connection with the acccmpanying drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claim. e

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lighting fixture embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the fixture with its light control element shown in cross section.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a. light control member supporting bracket.

Heretofore the design and maintenance of fixtures for gaseous discharge lamps has been encumbered by inefiicient arrangement of its light producing elements with respect to the element or elements which control the light emitted by the fixture.

Consequently much difficulty has been experienced in obtaining proper accessibility to the light producing units for replacement, a

cleaning or repair.

The present invention provides a fixture construction wherein the light control element may be simplified and properly designed to provide the desired type of lighting Without jeopardizing the accessibility to the interior elements of the fixture. For example, it may be desired to utilize a combination light control element containing a louvre and one or more diffusing panels. In such a combination it has been the practice to build in the diffusion panels and make the louvre member detachable thereby to gain access to the interior of the fixture. Such an arrangement however is ineffective since only a portion of its inner parts become readily accessible for examination replacement cleaning or repair.

The present invention eliminates the disad- 1 Claim. (Cl. 240-5111) vantages now encountered in existing equipment by providing a light control element which is constructed rigidly as a unitary member and made removable or swingable as.a unit into a position rendering all the elements which it covers freely accessible.

To present a better understanding of the in vention a specific embodiment thereof is shown in the drawings. The fixture shown is constructed to utilize four fluorescent lamps l which are held in position by suitable sockets or holders 2 which are secured to the end portions of a chassis 3, extending for substantially the full length of the fixture. The chassis is of usual construction having a chamber for receiving its various elements and is provided with means for attaching it to a supporting surface l. Suitable current carrying wires not shown are provided for conducting energizing current to the lamps.

A light controlling element 5 is supported upon the'chassis and is provided with end walls 6. The controlling element desirably covers sulficient area to embrace all of the useful light projected from the lamps and may be composed of areas designed to effect different lighting conditions. In the fixture shown the central portion of the control member has a louvre element l which is permanently built in and two difiusing portions 8 which are also fixed elements of the light control member.

Special means is provided for supporting and permitting the light control member to be moved into a position rendering all the inner elements of the fixture readily accessible. A pair of pins 9 are fixed to and project inward from each end wall 6 and interengage opposite ends of supporting brackets l0 mounted transversely across the ends of the chassis 3. Desirably the brackets are constructed of fairly heavy sheet metal and each is provided with a supporting ear I lbent inwardly at to its body and over-lying the upper surface of the end portion of the chassis 3.

One of the pins 9 on each end wall 6 projects into a recess H in the brackets H). The recess 12 may desirably be in the form of a slot disposed at an acute angle to the vertical and opening upward. The controlling element 5 is thus pivotally supported along one side while its other side is supported by a pair of latch members l3 which are pivotally mounted upon opposite ends of the brackets l0 and are each provided with a notch l4 within which the pins 9 are received. The latches l3 are provided with an extension conveniently positioned to be engaged by the finger to release the latch. The latches are held element may be of any desired contour.

in normal position whenthey are disengaged by means of stops ii on the brackets. The latches are held against their respective stops by gravity since the center of gravity or the latch is a substantial distance from its pivot IS. The latch may however be spring actuated if desired.

To gain access to the interior of the fixture it is merely necessary to press the member I3 to release the latches and swing the member 5 down into the dotted line position in Figure 2. Or if it is desired to remove the control member entirely a slight upward movement will release the pins 9 from the slots l2 and thus disengage it from the fixture. To replace the member 5 the pins 9 are placed in the slots I! after which it is swung" upward until the other pins 9 engage an inclined edge I! on the latch which moves it into position enabling the pins to enter the notch It thus locking the light control member in its operating position.

In the fixture shown the contour of the side areas 8 of the control elements are generally cylindrical and the pins 9 are situated substantially near the axes of the cylindrical portions. Thus no portion of the control member will en'- gage the attaching surface 4 when it is swung downinto .the dotted position. If desired the pins 9 may be situated nearer to the surface 4 and to the outer extremity of the control element 5 in which case the side portions of the control In fact the design of the control element is not subjected to specific limitations by the mechanical structure presented.

What I claim is:

In a fixture for tubular lamps having a chassis for housing its auxiliary elements and having a plurality of lamps-supportedv thereupon, a light controlling member covering substantially the whole light, emitting area of the fixture, and having metallic end walls embracing the ends or the chassis, a pair of horizontally elongated supporting brackets extending laterally across the ends of said chassis andbeyond the corners thereof, supporting ears bent horizontally inward from the upper edge 01 said brackets to overlie the top wall of said chassis, means to secure said ears to the chassis, an upwardly opening recess in one end of each of said brackets, pivot pins projecting inward from the end walls of said light control member and received in said recesses, releasable latching means on the other ends of said brackets, additional pins projecting inward from the end walls of said light control member and engaged by said latching means to hold said light control member in operating position whereby when said latches are released the light con- :trol member will swing down upon said pivot pins entirely away from said chassis and its lamps, said pivot pins being so positioned that no part of the light control member will engage the surface upon which the fixture is mounted when the light control member has swung down substantially from operating position.

- CHARLES EDWARD BARKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,283,782 Ashley et al May 19, 1942 2,327,230 Weber Aug. 1'7, 1943 2,365,614 Winkler et a1. Dec. 19, 1944 2,331,774 Guth Oct. 12, 1943 1,093,619 Hamm Apr. 21, 1914 2,329,435 Colucci Sept. 14, 1943 

